Aeroplane.



R. PAT'ON.

AEROHLANE. APPLIQATION FILED DEO.14,1910.

Patented June 13, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

R. PATON1 AEROPLMJE. APPLwATIoN FILED DBO. 14,1910.

Patented June 13, 1911.

3 BHEETSBHBET 2.

R. PATON.

AEBOPLANE. APVPLIOATION FILED DEU.14,1910.

Patented June 13, 1911.

flake/76 Biz??? 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.'

' whichit is attached. u

It consists of a plummet device in which the weight of the operator seated in the plummet supplies the motive power for p ROBERT Patron, or GA'RRINGTQN, nonrn nAKo'ra, lissrcnonor ONE-THIRD To. LUCAS K. srvnnrson nn ONE-THIRD r0 THOMAS n. PUTNAM, BOTH or cannINGa-{om NORTH DA OTA;

an To all whom it may concern: p

Be it known that 1, ROBERT PATON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Carrington, in thecountyofFoster and State of North Dakota,- have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Aeroplanes, of

which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to improvements in aeroplanes, and has. particularzreference to improvements in hero-structural balancing mechanism for such machines. 7

The ob ect of my invention is to secure. the automatic equilibrium of aeroplanes to crating a mechanism connected with the or dinary guiding planes of an aeroplane in such manner that the plummetmoves the guiding planes when-the aeroplane, in forward motion, is,] by varying winds, or for any otlier cause, tilted from itsydesired position, so" that the wind pressure on the guid ing planes will-return the aeroplane to its desired pos ition.- y j It consists further of a supplemental mechanismunder control of the operator for adjusting the connections between the plu met and the; guiding planes so that the aeroplane shall be guided or held automaticallyv at any desired tilt or angle. The invention further resides in the novel features of. construction and combination and arrangement of parts substantially as illustrated in the accompanying drawings and as hereinafter describedin the following specification; but it will be understood that I may; make numerous changes in the details of said constructionwithinthe scope of my claims without exceedingor departing-from thespirit of the invention. I

Fignrel represents a side elevation'of my machine with the various planesand 1118 rons set; to direct the machine in straight forward. slightly rising flight. .lTi-g. 2 rep-- resents a similar view illustrating the positionassumed by the various parts .when the machine accidentally dips. I Fig. 3 represent-s a'front elevation of the machine in nor nial direct flying position. "Fig.4 repre sents a similar view illustrating the position. assuniedjby the partswhen the machine is inadvertently, tilted. Fig. 5 represents an enlarged detail front elevation"oftheiad- AEROPLA'NE.

Zing planes.

i regulating the ascent and descent of ther plurality .of sockets 14.

are a plurality of brackets 'havi'rig'bear end the seat for";

j Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 13,1911 "Application filed December 14,1'91o. Seria1 No.597,282.

justing mechanism. Fig. 6 represent si ticali sectional. View on the line 6+6 off Fig Fig. representsa sectional view a'tfl right angles to. Fig. (Son the line sa icl-figure;v Fig. 8 representsanenla detailed transverse .sectionalwiewjolf he machine illustrating a modified construe out V for adjusting the planesfor regulating the; ascent and descent of the "machine. Fig. 9] represents a fragmentary front elevation of the machine showing themodi-fication illusa trated in Fig. 8. F1g.10 represents an enlarged detail viewof the means for locking the rack and pinion in adjusted position and Fig, ll'represent-s a diagrammatic view; 3 of another modified plummet operatedmeans for adjusting the front'and rear In the drawings, Ihave shown im; proved mechanism as applied .to-a j'machine 5" of the bi-plane type, having the lower plansl and the upper super-imposed plane 2 held in spaced relation by the braces and guys"3 I thelower plane having secured thereto the j suitable tractionwheel ti V V i 0;

Extending rearwardly from" the Iii-plane. proper is-the supplemental frame 5, while journa-led at the rear of said frame is the spindle 6 on which is secured the rear 'gaiding plane 7, a bracket 8 bei'n secured to -thef plane andfspindle and pro ecting-fupwardj therefrom and provided with a plurality of sockets9. Secured to the front ofthe upper plane are the S+bars 10' in which are .jour naled the "ends of thespindle 11 havingcured thereon the front guiding plane l2fo chine, said plane and-spindle likewis ing secured thereto a bracket' lilih Depending on the upper planeateach-s ings 16- in' which are jo'ur'na'le'd the, rec shafts 17 havin at their innerends'lfi th cranks 19 onwhich are slidably mounted tli bearing-blocks 20 having the bearingmas sages 21 extending vtherethrough at right angles,-the customary balancing planes 22jbeing-secured on'the endsfofthe shaftseite rior to-the mainplanes of the machine.

- Depending from-the uppenl plane is a bracket 23 to which is pivotally seoaredathe supporting bar 24: hav in its .upper p'ortionil' squared andhaving qse' Fredto uts lowert" operator @Slid-l ably mounted on the squared upper portion" aperture in the cross bar and adapted to be a formed inthe squared portion of the bar 24..

socket, and thus permit of the-rotation of engaged inone of a plurality of sockets 31 Projecting from the-ends of the cross bar are thespindles 32 engaged in the bearings 21 of the-slide bearing blocks 20 before described, and to limit the pivotal movement of the segment on the pin '29 I journal in the bracket 26 the shaft 33 bearing on one end the pinion 34 in mesh with the segmental rack while on the other end of the shaft I pivotally secure the wheel 35 adapted x,to' turn the shaft to pivotally swing the segment. To secure the segment in ivotally adjusted position, I form in the wheel- .35 the socket 69 in which is mounted the lockin pin 70 projecting from the wheel mu a opted to eng'a e one of the sockets 71 in the circular'loc 'ng plate 72, secured to-the bar 24,,a spring 73 mounted in .the socket 69 serving to force the pin 70 into said socket. Pivoted to the other end of the 1n and adapted, to bear against the face oft e wheel" is the lever 74 having a cam head 75, the oscillation of the lever'c'ausing -said head to'engage the face of the wheel.

to draw the pin out of engagement with the the wheel-and this pinion to adjust the position of the segments.

' The operation of the machine will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 3

and 4 from which itwill be seen that when.

the segment is secured with its cross bar at -tles' an right angles to the supporting bar the planes are held in alinement with the main plane of the machine, while when the machine accidentally tilts.the wei ht'of the operator in the seat will swing t e seat. and said supporting bar 24' to maintain the same in vertical position, this: movement of the bar swi-ngin with it the cross bar with its pinelevating one of said pintles and depressing the other, said movement of the pintles being transmitted by the double slide bearings :to the cranks of the rock shafts 17 to rock'said shafts and thus throw the guiding planes 22 in opposite directions to catch It will be understood that when itjis desired to tilt the aeroplane, the wheel 35 may be rotated to shift the segmentary rack and'so move the balancing planes to tilt the machine, 1 the planes remaining in such posltion Wltll. relation to the plummet and the weight of the operator serving to maintain the plummet in perpendicular position, and the aeroplane thus at the desired angle until the v wheel35'is again rotated. By adjusting the crossbar 28 with the attached spindle 32 to any desired angle right or left to bar 24, the aeroplane will under action of the balancing planes 22, assume the'same angle and be kept at that angle by the free action of the plummet so long as desired, or until the angle of the spindle 32 to bar 24 is altered by the operator.

v In Figs. 1 and 2 I have illustrated one of the forms of mechanism for shifting the front and rear elevation controlling planes of the machine, Wllll in Fig. 8 I have illustrated a modified construction of the mechanism for controlling said planes. In both 9 of the bracket-8 of the rear plane, said' bar having the. collars 40 clampingly secured thereon on each side of the bracket to' permit of slight play of the bracket on the rod. The other endof the rod has the depending arm 41 slidably engaged in the bearing 42 rotatably mounted on the rear end of the rack bar 43 slidably. mounted on the. guide 44 secured to one side of the bracket 26. Rotatably secured to the forward end of the rack bar 43 isa second bearing 45 in which is engaged the depending arm 46' of the rod 4 engaged in the bearing 38 at the front of, the upper plane, said rod extending forward and being engaged in one of the sockets 14. of the bracket 13 depending from the front guiding plane, collars 48 being secured to the rod on each side of said bracket topermit of slight play of the bracket on the rod. To secure the .rack bar in longitudinally-adjusted position with reference to the bar'24 and parts forming the plummet device,-I journal in the bracketthe shaft 49 having on one end vthe pinion 50 in mesh with the rack and havingon the forward end, the wheel 51 for turning theshaft and pinion tolongi tudinally shift the rack bar in the bracket. 'The wheel 51 has mounted thereon, a'locking device similar in all respects to the locking device illustrated on the wheel 35 in Fig. 10 for securing the wheel and thus the rack bar in longitudinally adjusted position. Froin the foregoing description taken in connection with 1 and 2 the operation of 'my improved mechanism for automatically regulating the position of the elevation controlling planes willbe readily understood, and it will be seen that upon the dipping of the machine the seat of the operator will swing forward earryingw ith it the bar 24 and thus the rack bar 43 adjustably secured. thereto. .Upon'said movement of the bar 24 the rod 39 will be drawn forward bringin with it the end .of the lb'racket'8 andepressing the forward end of the rearguiding move the bracket 13. and swin end of the front guiding p ane upward, counteractin the dippin tendency of the' machine: I hehthe mac ine: has returned toflits initial position the bar 24 will have swungback to 'move the front? and rearf {guidingplanes into their initial] position "as shown in Fig. 1. i- The machine .may be madeto rise-or descend on incline by 'swing-. in the bar 43 forward or back.

n the modified construction shown- Fig. 8 I ,pivotally secure to the bar '24 the cross bars 53' fromflwhich depends 'the. segl'niental toothed rack 54 vin mesh with the pinion 55 secured on the end of the-shaft 56 ]'o urnaled"i n the-bar 24 and having on its other. end the handle- 57-'for turning the shaft andthus the pinionto shift "the rack,

' the bar being provided with suitable 1ock- -ing means 58 for engaging the handle to se- .cure itan'dt-hroughthepinion the rack in adjusted osition. Secu'red to the ends 'of the cross lar. 53 at right anglesthereto are the rods59 on which are shdablylmounted the ,bearingsfiO formed on'the lower ends of 8 of; the rear plane. In the operation of this construction on the lateral swinging of the links slide out e rods 5 9 and the bell .bar 24 the bearin s at the lower ends of the cranks areunmoved thereby /while on the forward orrearward' swinging 0f thebar 24 and thus the planes at the front and rear of.

'thc'fllinks will ull on the bell cranks and serve through t em to shift links 24 and 25 the machine, as heretofore described inconnection with the preferred formof my invention.

In Fig. '11 Ighave diagrammatically illustrated another modified construction for ad- "justing' the front and rear planes. Pivot ally secured to the' bar 24 is the cross bar .76

havingvdepending' therefrom the rack seg T ments77 as in the just described; frame.

In: place,. however, of employing the b'ell crank levers, I suspend from the upperplane, the T rods havin the vertically disv rsal' joint 81 is the member 82 having its.

posed arms 78-and'the oriz'ontal arms '79,-

said T rods being mounted on'the' ivots 89. S cu'red'to the end ofeach arm 79 y a umother'end connected by a second universal joint. 83 to theadjacent end'o-f the bar. In this. form o: the .invent1on,: the rear plane 7 has a pair of bracketsi84, one

7 lane, whileat ,thesame 1 time the rod 47 'wlll be pushed forward to the forward from each side of the lplane, whi e secur to the end of eachbrac et is a wire 85 having its other end secured to the corres 0nding end of the vertical'arm 78 of the rod.

The front plane 12 has a bracket 86 projectingfrom each side thereof, while securedto the upper end of the upper bracket and to the lower end of the arm 78 of the front. T rod is the wire 87, a'second wire 88 similarly: crossin from the lower bracket to the upper end 0 said front T rod.

From the-foregoing description,'taken in this modification will be readily understood, and it will be seen that upon the forward or rearward swingin of the bar 24, the cross bar 76 will respectlvely elevate the link at one end thereof, and turn down the link at the other end, which movement will rock the'T bars on their pivotsto shift the planes as indicated inthe dotted lines, while the swinging of the bar 24 in the opposite direction will likewise move the planes in the opposite direction. Itwill be understood, that the universal joints 81 and 83 will permit the'bar 24- and cross bar 76 to oscillate from side to side of the machine without disturbing-the position of the T rods, While moving the same 11 on the forrojectireig connection with Fig. 11,- the construction of a ward-and rearward swinging 0 said bar 24.

It is evident from the above description taken in connection with the drawings-that I have provided thoroughly eflicient and practical mechanism for counteracting dippingorftipping movements of the aeroplane WhlCh is automatic in operation and in which the dipping regulating and tilting regulating'mechanisms are capable of either independent or joint operationand which will consequently serve to right the machine irrespective ofthe direction of accidental movement thereof. It'will be understood that any desired propelling mechanism 67 may be employed, driven by suitable motive power 68' and that the levers for controlling a 0th said propelling mechanism and the manual] operation of the various guidi'n planes are'all supported by and moved witthe bar 24 to be 'at all times within the grasp of the operator of the machine.

' I claim: V

1. In an aeroplane, the combination with themain supporting planes, of ailerons secured at'the. sides oftheupper supporti'n plane, a 111mb device depending from sai upper pane and normally per endicular thereto, a segmental rack pivotaly secured to the plumb device, 'intles proiectin'g'from therackat right ang es to the p umb device, connections betweensaid 'pintles and the r locking the same to pivotally adjusted tion, the movement 0 'ailerons for shifting the latter, and means engaging the rack o from and pivotally secured perpendicular relation 'to the upper plane automatically adjusting the ailerons.

2. In 'an' aeroplane, the combination with a supporting plane, of brackets depending therefrom rock shafts journaled 1n said brackets, ailerons secured on the outer ends of the shafts, said "shafts having cranks formed on their inner ends, a bar depending brackets, ailerons secured on the outer ends of the shafts, said shafts having cranks formed on their inner ends, a bar depend ing from and pivotally secured to the supporting plane, an operators seat secured on said bar, a cross bar pivotally secured to the dependin bar, arms extending said cross bar an slidably secured to the cranks of the rock shafts, means for manually rocking the cross bar on its pivot to shift the ailerons, and means for locking the crossbar immovably to the depending bar to cause the'same to 'move with the depending bar as said baniswlngs. on its pivot to automatically adjust the ailerons.

to the support- 4 In an aeroplane,r-;the eombinatioliffwit a supporting plane, of ailerons at the" s thereof, front and rear guiding planes thiirea pivotally: .mounted ba'r d nfii from the supporting plane and bearing ian operators seat, rack-members movably "secured to said bar,--means for locking 's'aid rack members to move with said barpcolr ,nectlons between one ofsaid rack members and the front and rear guiding planes,' co nnections between the other rack member and "the ailerons, and means engaging said racks for moving the same to, through the connections, shift the guiding planes and ailerons,

5. In 'an aeroplane, the combination with a supporting plane, of ailerons at the sides thereof, front and. rear guiding planes there for, a bar depending from andpivota'lly secured to the supporting plane an operator seat secured to said bar, a bracket'adjustably mounted on the bar, rack members supported by the bracket, connections between one of saidrack members and the front and rear guiding planes, connections between the other rack member. and the ailer0ns,j means for engaging A shift the members and thus their respective planes, and means for immovably locking the rack members to the bar to cause them to move with the bar when it swings on its pivot to automatically adjust the various guiding planes In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses. f ROBERT PATON. Witnesses: a I

M. LoUIsn LOWE, B. .JOHANSEN.

the, racks of said members to-v 

